For months and months, Congress debated a health-care bill that nobody wanted. The bill cost over $1 trillion and would mean major cuts to Medicare and our Island hospitals. That is the last thing that Staten Islanders need!

I also worry that the bill could encourage small business-owners to drop coverage, and could lead people like me who have good health insurance to lose their health care.

I believe we need reform in our health-care system, but not at the expense of hard-working Americans.

Mike McMahon did the right thing by being an independent thinker and voting against this bill. We should all be proud that our congressman listened to all of us who pay his salary and voted against this monstrosity.